About Us
Our Practice—Tried and True
We are trial attorneys. Since our firm’s founding in 1969, we have earned a reputation for presenting an aggressive defense, always ready and willing to try cases to conclusion, whenever necessary. We pride ourselves on handling all types of litigated matters, from the simplest to the most complex multi-state disputes. We represent a broad mix of individuals, governmental entities, partnerships, corporations, sole proprietorships and insurance companies. Every attorney in our firm tries cases, and our litigation practice is one of the largest in Michigan. We represent several major companies on the national level as well. Our major practice areas include:
- Commercial and business disputes
- Product liability
- All aspects of insurance coverage and insurance defense litigation
- Administrative law (NHTSA and CPSC)
- Construction accidents
- Employment litigation
- Toxic torts
- Malpractice defense
- Environmental litigation
- Premises liability
- Dram shop actions
- No-fault and automobile negligence
Harvey Kruse also has a reputation for tailoring its services to meet the changing needs of our clients. Because we share our clients’ concerns about the cost of legal services, we apply a rigorous cost-containment program to all aspects of our practice. Sophisticated strategy, sound legal analysis, aggressive representation, proven results and a commitment to client satisfaction have been the hallmarks of our firm from the beginning and will continue to be our focus as we enter our fourth decade of practice.
A Highly-Coordinated, Team Approach
As a service organization and professional corporation, our firm is a composite of many dedicated individuals working together to bring you the highest quality legal representation. When Richard Harvey and John Kruse founded our firm on the strength of their litigation skills and business acumen, they created an organization with a solid, hard-working, no-nonsense approach—an approach that has fostered steady growth over the years.
We pride ourselves on the skill and professionalism of our attorneys, yet our attorneys could not operate as successfully as they do without the committed and professional support of our paralegals, legal secretaries, law student interns, and clerks. We value the contributions of everyone at our firm—the best, brightest and most dedicated people we can find—who together provide top-quality legal services to our clients at reasonable fees. In truth, we bring our clients the best of both worlds: the resources and technical expertise of a large firm, together with the commitment to personalized service generally associated with small “boutique” firms.
Our Promise to Our Clients
While every client is unique, we vow to serve all of them according to the following principles:
- Clients are the most important people in the firm.
- Clients are not dependent on us, we are dependent on them.
- Clients rely on us to protect and defend their interests, and our job is to do so as courteously and effectively as possible.
- Clients are the purpose of our work, not an interruption. Answering their questions is a privilege, an opportunity to earn their business and trust. Calls are “held” only if an attorney is in the conference, attending a deposition or actively engaged in court proceedings. When a particular attorney is unavailable, our team approach provides the client with ready access to factual information through another attorney, a paralegal or a professional legal secretary who is familiar with the case.
Our Cost Containment Policy
At Harvey Kruse, we understand your concern about the high cost of expert legal representation. We strive to keep our costs, and therefore yours, to a minimum, by:
- Maintaining a low overhead. Our offices are functional and comfortable, not opulent.
- Utilizing the latest technology to streamline basic business operations.
- Relying upon a core of attorneys with at least 20-plus years of litigation experience. Attorneys, that is, who do not have to learn on the job (at your expense) but instead possess the experience and knowledge to handle your case as efficiently and effectively as possible.
- Partnering with an extensive network of local and national experts on scientific and technical matters, thereby coordinating discovery and producing economies of scale.
- An overall commitment to keeping your best interests at heart.